However, myself and many clubs around here will not be paying £20 just to get in for a few hours. Its a rip off and was met with many complaints lasy year....so much so that it made headlines in Scootering.

BOYCOTT!

BOYCOTT!

Laurie,Technical Advisor & Essential RunningLML Owners Club of Great Britain

Laurie wrote:I used to love Mersea...it was one of the best of the year.

However, myself and many clubs around here will not be paying £20 just to get in for a few hours. Its a rip off and was met with many complaints lasy year....so much so that it made headlines in Scootering.

BOYCOTT!

BOYCOTT!

The obvious answer is to go for the weekend which then makes it a bargain or, leave before 6pm and get a refund. I've done both over the last few years.

Rather than slagging it off, it would be better to get behind a rally that is actively striving to make itself more appealing to genuine scooterists rather than the hoards of people turning up in cars. Personally I think it's a great rally, always plenty to see, decent parts fair, custom show etc. and there is a varied selection of music rooms/tents to satisfy most tastes.

Im doing the weekend so for me £20 for 2 nights camping with decent facilities and a great selection of bands/music is a bargain, cheaper than BWM (santa pod) but i will also be doing that again next year.

I'm hoping to make it for at least part of the weekend providing work doesn't get in the way........the only problem is, I might for logistical reasons have to take my GTS I use it for commuting in London and always swore that I would NEVER use it for going to a rally. But, my Lambrettas are both in Norfolk and I'll struggle timewise to drive to Norfolk, pick up Lambretta, ride to Mersea and then back to London via Norfolk OR ride direct from east London on the GTS, 70 miles each way or 150 miles each way....still a difficult choice. My mates reckon that it would be forgivable for Mersea but promise to burn the GTS AND me if I take it anywhere else I've told them I'll provide the petrol if that ever happens

Only heard good things about mersea and to be honest I have heard more words of support than complaints about the whole car charge/pricing thing. I think is a great idea it is after all a scooter rally not a motorhome/car show.

I've been many times over the years and the restriction on car admittance had to be done as people from miles around with no interest in scooters were arriving in droves as to them it was a cheep music festival

I will be bringing a scoot and the mrs will follow later in the car with extra supplies as well as riding partners other halfs.Being able to bring both suits our situation as its easy for me to skip outta work early and ride up, the mrs cant get there till after 8pm in the car, im more than happy paying a premium for the motor and im also happy that it and all the other cars/vans/campervans will be away from the camping area.

sharpcroft wrote:I will be bringing a scoot and the mrs will follow later in the car with extra supplies as well as riding partners other halfs.Being able to bring both suits our situation as its easy for me to skip outta work early and ride up, the mrs cant get there till after 8pm in the car, im more than happy paying a premium for the motor and im also happy that it and all the other cars/vans/campervans will be away from the camping area.

Sharpy

You have pre-booked the car ticket haven't you? Not ticket = no entry if you're in a car....you're mrs could be mighty miffed

sharpcroft wrote:I will be bringing a scoot and the mrs will follow later in the car with extra supplies as well as riding partners other halfs.Being able to bring both suits our situation as its easy for me to skip outta work early and ride up, the mrs cant get there till after 8pm in the car, im more than happy paying a premium for the motor and im also happy that it and all the other cars/vans/campervans will be away from the camping area.

Sharpy

You have pre-booked the car ticket haven't you? Not ticket = no entry if you're in a car....you're mrs could be mighty miffed

Yes mate, had the tickets (for both of us) a couple of months now.

Im setting off from Hertfordshire at 10:30am heading out along the A414/A10/A120(maybe) towards the Island, should make it with plenty of time to spare before high tide, let me know if you wanna hook up along the way, the more the merrier.

I must admit I was thoroughly disappointed in Mersea when I went. Not for the facilities or the entertainment but for the fact that the place was full of 4 wheel vehicles and no where near a similar amount of scooters. Admittedly, that was around 8 years ago, and I have heard similar complaints about too many cars/vans/motorhomes etc over the years. The particular year I went, me and the Mrs had travelled on a Lambretta Li150 from North Wales to the Isle of Wight rally the week before, then from the IoW up to Norfolk for the week to visit friends and relations then down to Mersea Island. On the Sunday we packed up and rode back to North Wales, a round trip of over 650 miles with tent, bags etc to last us 10 days, so, a fully laden scooter!

When we got to Mersea Island around midday on the Friday we pitched the tent and walked down the beach to the caravan site shop to get some 'supplies'. When we got back to the tent there was someone waiting for us to tell us that we needed to move our tent because that was where the car park was going! The classic comment came from the surly teenager who had obviously been roped in against his will to help and while holding a big reel of red & white tape, a lump hammer and a number of metal stakes said "If this is a scooter rally why do we have to have a car park?" An obvious question! Now, of course, I understand that a lot of us are now getting older, suffering from certain ailments etc so I do understand that some of us have no choice if we still want to be part of the scene we need sensible transport but what I observed when I was there was that people were arriving in Luton Back type vans and literally unloading their front rooms. Sofas, armchairs, and crate loads of booze I thought then "That's not my idea of a scooter rally", and I haven't been back since. Maybe if I hear better news, like Sharpcroft gave, then perhaps I'd consider it again but not for me at the moment.

Car parking was limited and expensive at this years Mersea Island, there was a dedicated car park away from the main camping field and music tents so to me and it made sense and kept the feel of a SCOOTER rally while allowing people who had no choice but to bring a car(like my mrs and a few others) to bring it without getting the "F*ck off" looks from the 4 wheel haters